Overview

• An EF-4 tornado with winds reaching 170 mph struck Laurel County, Kentucky, on May 16, killing 19 people and devastating homes.
• Paul and Gail Cline, a married couple in their 60s, each lost an arm while holding onto each other during the storm and were rescued from the rubble by a neighbor.
• Gail Cline remains on life support with a punctured lung, while Paul Cline, who has dementia, is stable but disoriented in the hospital.
• The couple’s home, vehicles, and savings were destroyed, prompting family members to launch a GoFundMe campaign that continues to gather donations.
• In a symbol of resilience, the couple’s 12-year-old dog Sadie survived the tornado and returned to their destroyed home, later comforting Paul in the hospital.